Estimate future retirement savings using monthly contributions and return assumptions.
Enter realistic assumptions, run the estimate, then test a higher and lower scenario. Small changes to rates, time, and payments can change the result significantly.
Enter your current retirement savings balance, your expected annual return rate (7% is a commonly used historical average for diversified stock portfolios, adjusted for inflation — though actual returns will vary), your planned monthly contribution, and the number of years until you plan to retire.
The result estimates your projected retirement balance using compound monthly growth. This is a simplified model — it does not account for taxes, employer matching, contribution limit changes over time, Social Security income, or inflation adjustment. Use it as a directional tool, not a financial plan.
Start early: A 25-year-old contributing $300/month at 7% annual return accumulates roughly $877,000 by age 65. A 35-year-old doing the same thing accumulates about $431,000 — less than half, despite only 10 fewer years of contributions. The earliest contributions have the most time to compound and make the biggest difference.
Capture employer match first: If your employer matches 401(k) contributions up to 5% of salary, always contribute at least 5% before anything else. That match is an immediate 50–100% return on your contribution — no investment can reliably beat it.
Increase contributions with raises: Commit to directing a portion of every raise to retirement savings before lifestyle inflation absorbs it. Even routing an extra 1% of salary per year into your 401(k) can add hundreds of thousands to your ending balance over a career.